Forked River Fire Ruled Accidental, Police Say

The Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office has determined that the cause of a fire that broke out in the early morning hours of Nov. 7 at a Forked River home was accidental, Lacey police said.

The owner of the home called 911 after hearing strange noises and discovered the fire, Detective Lt. Chris Cornelius said.

Lacey Police responded to the Parkside Place shortly after 2 a.m., when the owner of the home contacted 911 after hearing strange noises and discovering the fire, he said.

The majority of the flames originated at the outside front corner of the home. A large portion of the damage was confined to the house's exterior.

The Forked River and Lanoka Harbor fire departments extinguished the blaze.

Members of the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Lacey Township Detective Bureau searched the scene for the fire’s origin. It appears that the fire originated at a low voltage light transformer that was plugged into an exterior outlet, Cornelius said

Image: Patch file photo